Walking Before You Run

23andMe plans to share some preliminary data from its exome sequencing pilot project at the American Society of Human Genetics conference this week.

In a blog post, 23andMe says it plans to present initial findings from its Exome 80x Pilot Program in a poster at the conference.

The direct-to-consumer genetic testing company launched the pilot program just over a year ago. The project provided exome sequencing for a limited number of customers for $999. Users were provided with information on around 50 million base pairs at 80x coverage. By comparison, the company's standard genotyping service analyzes 1 million base pairs.

23andMe says the exome pilot was intended to explore how to move its service to whole-genome sequencing in the "not-so-distant future," noting that "we must walk before we run."

Challenges that the study explored included the storage and delivery of large files, making sure the data presented was accurate and trustworthy, and providing some context for the data that was returned, the company says.